Living in Twilight
by Alexa Donaghy
Summary: *COMPLETE* James Potter had the perfect life. He was wealthy, happily married with a son, and surrounded by his oldest and closest friends. Nothing could go wrong. Until he woke up... R&R please!
1. Prologue: Slainte!

**A/N:  **This first part is just a prologue, so it's kind of short.  The rating is for future violence.  It has some mild slash.  (Basically just says they're in a relationship, and that's it.)  This idea came to me while watching Seinfeld, believe it or not.  Cramer was telling George that he was just living a fantasy, he was only living in the twilight.  And the title, Living in Twilight, and the storyline just wouldn't leave me alone.  I just had to write it.

**Disclaimer:  **I asked Santy Claus for them… but I didn't get them.  :(  I guess that means I have to be a good girl this year… DAMNIT!

**Prologue:  Slainte!**

            Life is good, is it not?" James Potter asked with a smile, as he leaned back in his armchair, sipping a flute of champagne.

            His wife, Lily, sauntered over and sat gingerly on one of the arms.

            "Yes, my love, it most certainly is.  We have a beautiful son, everything we have ever wanted, and better friends than anyone could ask for," she replied.

            "Hear, hear!" James' best friend, Sirius Black stated, holding his glass in the air.

            Remus Lupin smiled and planted a kiss on his lover's cheek.

            "I was always told that nothing in life is perfect.  But I do believe all those party poopers were quite wrong.  I'm one of the most successful businessmen in the wizarding world and the most handsome wizard to be found has just agreed to marry me.  What more could I ask for?" Remus said.

            " We are *all* very successful," Peter Pettigrew added.  "Now, if only we weren't mere mortals and didn't have to get old and decrepit!"

            Everyone laughed and Lily said, "To quote a famous Muggle playwright, 'Lord, what fools these mortals be!'  Wait… inappropriate time…"

            Everyone laughed again and Sirius demanded a toast from James to mark the momentous occasion of his engagement.

            "Okay, well, there's nothing that can sum this up more than… Slainte!" James said.

            And everyone yelled, "Slainte!" and banged their glasses together.

            James looked around the room.  He saw Lily's radiant emerald green eyes that his son, now peacefully sleeping his crib upstairs, now possessed.  He saw two of his best friends in each other's arms, as much in love as he and Lily still were.  He saw Peter laughing at one of Sirius' jokes.  And above all, he saw everyone's blissful smiles.  He couldn't be happier.

**A/N:  **I really like this fic.  It's got a plotline that is really gonna stick, I promise!  And it's not AU at all, so don't get your hopes up.  And by the way, "slainte" is an Irish toast meaning "To your health."  It's pronounced "SLAWN-cheh."


	2. Chapter 1: Bittersweet

**A/N:  **Well here is the ACTUAL Chapter 1.  ^_^

**Disclaimer:  ***in creepy Andy Serkis type voice*  My precious… they're MINE!  They were my birthday present!  Oh they only have one master you say?  J.K. Rowling?  Nooooo!!!!!!  My precious is lost!!!!!  :(

**Chapter 1:  Bittersweet**

            James woke up in a very groggy state of mind and then remembered that he had a few too many glasses of champagne the night before.  He stumbled downstairs and to his shock, he saw his wife sitting at the table crying with her head in her hands.

            "Lily, honey, what's wrong?" he asked, very worried.

            "What's wrong?!?" she thundered.  "I've been crying every day now for the past year, and you're just now finding the words to ask me 'What's wrong?'  Have you been living in LaLa Land or something?  Have you completely forgotten about the Dark Lord and the fact that he is ruthlessly trying to hunt us down?"

            "Lily… I," he stammered, as Remus and Sirius walked in, just in time.

            Oddly, Remus looked shabby and thin, as if he were sick and hadn't gotten enough to eat in years.  Even more strange, he and Sirius didn't seem to be a couple at all.  They just looked estranged from one another… and distraught and frightened, amid many other things.

            "We still can't find Peter.  We can't think of any reason why he would stay gone this long," Remus said in a tired tone.

            "What do you think happened to him?" Lily asked, shakily.

            "We don't know.  I need to talk to James privately," Sirius said and pulled James into the den.

            "James, I think Voldemort may have found out that Peter is your Secret Keeper instead of me.  Keep on the lookout.  He may be coming for you and Lily soon.  You know he shows no mercy…" Sirius whispered urgently.

            James looked into Sirius' terrified crystal blue eyes and thought he had strayed into a nightmare.  Perhaps he was still asleep?  What had happened to the perfect life he had only the night before?  And hadn't Voldemort been vanquished *years* ago?

            "James, man, wake up!  You look all confused.  Do you understand the enormity of your danger?" Sirius asked, waving a hand in front of James' face.

            "Yeah… yeah, I understand.  I just need to think, that's all…" James said quietly.

            Sirius walked out of the room and James sat down in the same armchair he had sat in the night before.  He fingered the rich velvet… and it all suddenly came flooding back to him.

            His family was the number one target of Voldemort.  The Potters were very wealthy and powerful, but had refused to bow in submission to the Dark Lord, something he wouldn't stand for.  Only the year before, Lily's parents had been murdered in warning and her sister had exiled herself.  Petunia had been Lily's best friend, but she now blamed Lily and magic for the death of their parents.  She had vowed never to let anything magical or abnormal come near her or family ever again.

            It was September the fourteenth, in the year nineteen hundred and eighty-one.  Remus suffered from Lycanthropy and was shunned by the entire wizarding population.  James and the rest of the Marauders had learned how to become Animagi in their fifth year, in order to make Remus' transformations each full moon a bit more bearable.  Remus and Sirius had been in a relationship once, but it had quickly ended when Remus was caught in the middle of one of our more terrible pranks on one of our enemies to keep him quiet about Remus' secret condition.  The Dark Lord and his forces had constantly hunted Sirius, as it was suspected that he was the Potters' Secret Keeper.  Now it seemed that Voldemort had discovered it was actually Peter and their whereabouts would soon be known.  His family was in mortal danger.

            His perfect life had all been a dream.  A very realistic dream… but a dream, nonetheless.  He had lived a whole *glorious* lifetime in the twilight of one night.

            He was moved out of his trance by the sudden sound of his son crying upstairs.

            Lily came down the staircase, trying to comfort the hysterical toddler in her arms.

            He was crying, "Mama, Dada… no bye bye!"

            "Sshhhh, sshhhh… Mummy and Daddy aren't going anywhere," Lily replied in a soothing voice.  James wished on every god he could think of that he could believe her.

            He stood in the kitchen doorway and watched them.

_            //Strange,//_ he thought.  _//My one-year-old child even seems to know of the danger looming over our heads, anxious and waiting to strike…//_

**A/N:  **Yes, somehow, Harry has some kind of comprehension of what's going on.  And I know Voldie probably knew that Peter was the Secret Keeper all along… trust me, it's gonna work out for the plot.  I've already written the ending.  Now I just have to write the middle… R&R please!


	3. Chapter 2: Making Amends

**A/N:  **Sorry this took me so long.  I'm not very good at writing plot and dramatic stuff.  I'm used to writing random insane comedy.  Oh and I had the song "The November Rain" by Guns-n-Roses stuck in my head when I was writing this, so yeah.

**Disclaimer:  **Not mine.  L  Wahhhhhhhhh….

Chapter 2:  Making Amends 

            Later that day, while Harry was spending the afternoon with "Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus", James had a little time to think.

            For the past year James had been ignoring Lily, not really knowing what to say.  They had both seen so much tragedy… but the previous year had been more horrific than they ever could have imagined.  And that… all too real… dream he had the night before made him see the man he wanted to be… the man he should have been.  The life he could have had.  It was like the popular Muggle movie, "It's a Wonderful Life."

            Lily walked into the den and he looked over at her and smiled weakly.  She sat down in the chair across from him and sighed.

            "What is there to smile about?" she asked.

            "Well… we're together…"he answered.

            "Together?  You call this 'marriage" *together*?  We're married to ourselves, not each other," she spat back.

            James walked over and took her hands in his.

            "That can all change.  I want it to change," he said.

            "What's the point?  Voldemort will have us soon anyway.  We don't have time to change," she said through her tears and ran through the halls until she was out the back door.

            James followed her, pleading, "Please Lily… we should savor what little time we may have left…"

"What good would that serve?" she yelled.

"I don't want to die not knowing if you ever really knew how much I love you.  I don't want to die with Harry seeing us argue all the time.  And I don't want to die without putting up a fight," James replied quietly.

Lily walked over to him, cupped his face in her hands, and said, "He'll get us eventually."

"Yes he will.  But we can't give up hope.  We have to try.  For Harry.  For us.  We're Gryffindors, Lily.  Let's act like it," he replied and kissed her softly.

"You know… Harry is going to be with Sirius and Remus all day…" Lily said with a goofy grin.

"Race you to the bedroom?" James asked, and they ran into the house.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

James looked around himself, confused.  He was sitting at the kitchen table, surrounded by Lily, a ten-year-old (almost eleven) spitting image of himself sporting Lily's eyes, and a strikingly beautiful nine-year-old girl, whom he knew to be Harry and his daughter Violet.

Lily had given birth to Violet in June of 1981.  Violet was aptly named, for she had exquisite amethyst eyes and Lily's long auburn hair.

_//Had they survived the Dark Lord's wrath?//_ he wondered.

  No wait… when were they threatened by Voldemort?  He had been done away with during James' second year at Hogwarts.  James sighed; he was just getting more confused all the time.

He remembered everything from the past ten years, but it didn't quite feel like he had actually been there.  It was as if it had all been a dream…

_//That's it!//_ he thought.  _//I'm back in the dream…//_

James looked up as the mail came in.

"Mum!  Dad!  I got my Hogwarts letter!  Can we owl Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus?  Can we invite them and Dru over for dinner?" Harry was exclaiming excitedly.

Dru was the daughter that Sirius had carried for Remus.  Though Druantia was roughly the same age as Violet, she had always been closer to Harry.  The two were inseparable whenever she was around.

"Of course we can, dear!  Though I'm quite sure they already knew that your letter had been sent, what with Uncle Remus being the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," Lily answered.  "Violet, dear, *please* eat your oatmeal!"

After Dru had been born, Remus had decided that teaching was a better profession for him than marketing.  Dru and Sirius lived with him at Hogwarts.  They were the last of the Marauders in Britain, for Peter had moved to America several years back to study herbology.

To prove Lily right, Remus burst through the door while James was thinking, Sirius and Dru in tow.

"I expect Harry got his letter this morning," Remus remarked, walking into the kitchen.

"Yes he did, we were just about to owl you with an invitation for dinner," Lily replied with a smile.

James sighed.  If these switches kept happening, he would go absolutely insane.

Harry and Dru went outside to play and Remus turned to James.

"So, James old chap, when are you taking him to Diagon Alley to get his school supplies?  I have a few things I need, and we're going tomorrow if you want to join us," he said.

"Of course we'll join you.  We'll meet you at the Leaky Cauldron, say ten in the morning" James asked, forcing a smile.

He didn't know why he found it so hard to smile.  After all, in this Parallel, he and Lily had never encountered Voldemort's threats.  Harry had lived to receive his Hogwarts letter, and would be eleven in a week.  The daughter that he knew without a doubt had been conceived September 3, 1980 had gotten the chance to grow into a wonderful young girl.  Sirius and Remus were married with a lovely daughter.  Peter may have been a bachelor, but he was happy in America.  Why should he be unable to smile?

James knew the answer all too well.  He could not be happy in this world because he knew that this wasn't reality.  He knew that as soon as he woke up, he would be back in the world where everything had gone wrong.

James walked over to the sliding glass of the back door and looked out.  Violet had gone out to play with Harry and Dru.

Harry and Dru, however,  were trying to stay as far away from Violet as possible.

She was taunting them, singing, "Harry and Dru sitting in a tree… S-N-O-G-G-I-N-G… wait, that doesn't work.  Harry and Dru sitting in a tree… K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

James opened the door and yelled, "Violet Amelie Potter!  Don't taunt your brother and Dru! Besides, it seems to me that they are neither sitting in a tree, *or* snogging.  Or even kissing, if you will.  And that better not give them any ideas!"

He then closed the door and sat back down where his wife and two friends were smirking at him.

"Come now James, do you *truly* think that a nine year old and ten year old would take to snogging?" Remus asked.

"In a tree?" Sirius added.  "I'm sure they could find much better places for a game of tongue quidditch than in a *tree*."

"Really James, they're nine and ten.  They probably still think that members of the opposite sex have cooties," Lily put in.

James glared at them and said indignantly, "You never know with kids these days."

The other s just laughed and went back to their previous conversation.  James settled in and tried to enjoy it while it lasted.

**A/N:  ** Ah… yes, the chapter is done.  Surprisingly, my muse has become organized and all set for this fic.  I have it all planned out already.  I even have the ending written.  That's really strange for me… I hardly ever have a fic all planned out.  I'll have certain things in mind that I want to happen, and I'll have the basic plotline in mind… but other than that I just go by whatever the crazy penguins decide to deal me with.  But this is already set in stone.  It's quite strange.  And now cookies for the reviewer… it's singular *sniffle*

_QuackingFrog:  First reviewer!  Only reviewer!  *Extra* big cookie for you!  Thank!  The idea just wouldn't leave me alone. (To think that my muse was actually an episode of Seinfeld…)  I did mean it to be creepy.  Especially since it's not AU (except for James' dream world.).  Is scary good or bad?  Because it's gonna get freakier and sadder… Thanks again and I hope you continue to enjoy the story!_


	4. Chapter 3: The Stronghold

**A/N:  **Sorry this has taken so long to get out.  The other story I'm writing has been pure insanity lately, so the plot has been hidden behind this big wall that has "WRITER'S BLOCK" written on it in big letters.  Plus, I've been kinda busy lately, and I'm sharing computer time with Caytin.  The theme song for this chapter is Droppin' Plates by Disturbed.  It has language; you have been warned.  I didn't put in November Rain's lyrics for the last chapter, but if you have time you should download.  It *really* goes with the chapter and it's an awesome song.

**Disclaimer:  **I claim none of it except the plot, Violet Potter, and Dru Lupin.  Everything else you see belongs to J.K. Rowling.

_Droppin' Plates, by Disturbed_

_Wee Here we go again, get up  
A little something' for your ear hole, get up  
baring a part of my soul again, get up  
Disturbed in the house, were dropping' plates_

_You said it couldn't be done  
Told me that it's the kind of battle  
That just couldn't be won, you know  
You're too sick, too hard, too fucked in the head  
You'll never make it, no, not in this lifetime  
Well guess again my friend  
Don't act surprised  
We got the bass drum kick  
That will blow out your eyes  
Cause when you hear this shit  
You'll get to stepping'  
Gonna fight the war  
And use my music as a weapon_

_You know I'm talking' bout Recognition  
You know I'm talking' bout Vindication_

_Another goddamn slap in the face  
Don't wanna give us a place  
Are you afraid?_

_Well fear this,  
Cause I'm breaking' through the walls of your nightmare  
Wake up time to die  
The way I'm living' there is no compromising it  
Better get ready for  
Another surprise and it may leave a mark  
Because I'm coming fast  
Planting' thoughts in your mind  
And dropping' plates on your ass_

_Well here I come  
I'm dropping' plates on your ass_

_Well here I come  
I'm dropping' plates on your ass bitch  
You never mind and you don't need this  
Well here I come  
I'm dropping plates on your ass bitch  
You never mind and you don't need_

_Well on your mark, here we go again  
Well never mind cause you're not number one  
You're too hard and from the other side  
I think it's time to bring it home again  
Right to me_

**Chapter 3:  The Stronghold**

            James sighed as he sat down after a long morning of hard work.  He and Lily had decided that there was no way they were going down without a fight.

            He had spent the morning putting up anti-apparition wards and protective charms around the house.  One would have to know their exact grid to avoid being hit with a ton of curses all at once.  He and the Marauders had done this type of thing while at Hogwarts, but it had been with such spells as the Leg-Locker Curse, or a tickling charm.  These spells were much more dangerous.

            Because they couldn't afford to trust anyone with the layout of their grid but themselves, they had invited their closest friends over the night before.  If James and his family didn't survive, the get-together would serve as goodbye.

            The protective charms and wards weren't the only thing that would be defending Godric's Hollow.  With Albus' help, Lily was out buying enough Muggle weapons to build an entire arsenal.

            Lily had said, "He may be one of the most powerful wizards in the world, but *nothing* survives getting its head blown off with a shotgun."

            Perhaps growing up among Muggles *did* have its advantages...  Now there was the problem of learning to shoot one of these so-called "guns."

            James looked over at the calendar on the wall.

            _//October Fifth…//_ he thought.  _//If only I could send Carla a birthday card…//_

            Carla was James' cousin over in the States.  They had been very close and, of course, this thought brought about even more thoughts of his family.  He had lost so much to Voldemort.  His parents, many of his friends, Lily's parents… In fact, Carla and her family were the only relatives he had left.  AT least they were somewhat safe across the Atlantic Ocean.

            Suddenly he heard Lily's voice in the kitchen.  He walked in and saw her unloading several large duffel bags.

            "Okay, we've got shotguns, rifles, Berettas, semi-automatic handguns, Uzis, lots of ammo, a few daggers, a couple of crossbows, and even a couple of swords.  Baby, we're armed to the teeth," she exclaimed.

            "Hmmmm….  That's great honey.  Too bad I only know how to use the daggers and swords.  And I'm not saying I'm good at it, because I've never actually fought with them," he replied nervously.

            Lily merely laughed and said, "Don't worry; you'll get the hang of it."

            She then kissed him on the cheek and proceeded to hide the weapons in various places all over the house.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "You're doing great honey," Lily said with a smile as James hit yet another bull's-eye with the shotgun.

            He really was beginning to get the hang of this shooting thing.  And fencing with Lily was turning out to be quite fun.  It was lucky that she had taken an interest in self-defense and physically trained when she was studying to become an Auror.

            It was beginning to grow dark, so he followed her into the house.

            The calendar now said it was two weeks until Halloween.  They would usually spend the holiday with Sirius, Remus, and Peter, but it didn't look as if that would be happening this year, if ever again.

            "James, I have something to tell you," Lily said as she lay the supper on the table.

            "Uh buh!" Harry yelled and threw his mashed potatoes at James.

            "These are good.  So, what was it you wanted to tell me?" James said and struggled to lick all the mashed potatoes off his face.

            "You look absolutely comical," she said, giggling.  "Okay… um… well… I don't know if this is good or bad, so I'm just going to go ahead and say it.  I'm pregnant."

            James stared at her, shocked.

            "P-p-pregnant?" he stuttered.

            "Yes," Lily replied meekly and looked down.

            "I would jumping up and down for joy right now if I thought there was a chance in hell that she would ever be born," he said sadly.

            Lily looked at him, confused, and asked, "She?"

            "Oh…" James said, realizing his mistake.  "She… um… yes… well, I thought that since we already have Harry, it would be nice to have a little girl.  Violet… Violet Amelie Potter."

            "Violet Amelie Potter… that's so pretty…" Lily mused.

            "And she'll have long mahogany hair, the same red as yours.  She'll have all your features, except for the eyes.  She'll have big violet eyes, which is why we name her violet," he said, remembering his daughter from the dream.

            "You've had a lot of time to plan this, haven't you?" Lily asked.

            "Well…. Yeah…" he said ad started smushing his peas.

            They had to survive.  Not just for their sake, or Harry's, but so that their fae-eyed little girl could have more than just "a chance in hell."

**A/N:**  Amelie is pronounced like this:  AH-muh-lee.  And I'm sorry it's such a short chapter.  The next one will be longer, I promise.  Ok and the cookie for el reviewero:  

_Mandidoll:  Thanks!  I hope you enjoy the rest of it just as much.  ^_^ __ß_ This thing is so cute!____


	5. Chapter 4: On the Edge

**A/N:  **Sorry updates are so slow.  I'm currently juggling 5 ½ fics, one of which is going to be a trilogy, and this one is the only one that is *anywhere* near winding down.  So I'm just writing a little bit on each one every night, although that's kind of weird since they're all completely different.  The theme song is "One Last Breath", by Creed.

**Disclaimer:  **I claim the plot, the Dream World, Violet Potter, Dru Lupin, Serpentin Snape, and Emrys Weasley.  Everything else has "Property of Rowling" stamped all over it.

_One Last Breath, by Creed_
    
    _Please come now I think I'm falling_
    
    _I'm holding to all I think is safe_
    
    _It seems I found the road to nowhere_
    
    _And I'm trying to escape_
    
    _I yelled back when I heard thunder_
    
    _But I'm down to one last breath_
    
    _And with it let me say_
    
    _Let me say_
    
    _Hold me now_
    
    _I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking_
    
    _That maybe six feet_
    
    _Ain't so far down_
    
    _I'm looking down now that it's over_
    
    _Reflecting on all of my mistakes_
    
    _I thought I found the road to somewhere_
    
    _Somewhere in His grace_
    
    _I cried out heaven save me_
    
    _But I'm down to one last breath_
    
    _And with it let me say_
    
    _Let me say_
    
    _Hold me now_
    
    _I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking_
    
    _That maybe six feet_
    
    _Ain't so far down_
    
    _Sad eyes follow me_
    
    _But I still believe there's something left for me_
    
    _So please come stay with me_
    
    _'Cause I still believe there's something left for you and me_
    
    _For you and me _
    
    _For you and me_
    
    _Hold me now_
    
    _I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking _

**Chapter 4:  On the Edge**

            "Lily, I told you; I will not stand for my son to drink any obscure potions!  We don't know what they will do!" James yelled in frustration.

            "I would like for Harry to grow into a young man.  If Voldemort kills us, he won't stand a chance against him unless he drinks this potion!" Lily cried.

            "He'll not be drinking it," James said again, standing his ground.

            "You are such a thick-headed ass!" screamed Lily and ran up the stairs.

            Two minutes later she showed back up with a pillow and blanket, which she threw at him.

            "Guess I'm sleeping on the couch then," he grumbled to himself as Lily ran back up the stairs.

            He lay down and stared at the ceiling.  Sometimes it was really hard to live with Lily.  She *always* had to get her way; she was the same as she had been when they were enemies in school.

            He knew he loved Lily, but it sometimes just wasn't enough.  With that thought, James went to sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            When he opened his eyes, he was sitting in a chair in a green field, surrounded by a large group of people.  His wife was sitting beside him.

            He looked up and saw Harry, all grown-up, and wearing a suit.  Standing beside him in identical suits were three of his best friends, Ron Weasley, his husband Draco Malfoy, and Violet's fiancé, Serpentin Snape.

            He blinked twice and remembered that it was the day of his son's marriage to Dru Lupin.  He stood up as Dru began walking down the aisle.  She was wearing a beautiful white dress and a crown of flowers had been placed on her head.  Her long sand-colored hair was flowing freely in the wind and her cerulean eyes were bright with tears of joy.  Remus and Sirius were on either side of their daughter, smiling as tears threatened to roll down their cheeks.  Dru was the perfect picture of classic beauty.

            As she stepped up to the altar, Sirius and Remus each kissed her cheek, hugged Harry, and sat down.

            Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, then began speaking.

            "We are gathered today to witness an extraordinary event, the merging of two lives into one.  The bride and groom will now say their vows."

            Harry looked deep into Dru's eyes and said, "Druantia Lupin… all my life you have been there for me, through thick and thing.  You have always been my best friend.  I couldn't ask for a more beautiful and loving wife.  I cannot wait to share my life with you.

            Dru smiled, and continued with her vows.

            "Harry, you are my soulmate.  Even when I was just a little girl I knew you were my Prince Charming.  Life can throw whatever it likes at us… You'll still be the one in my heart.  I want to grow old with you, to share in all the love and laughter, as well as heartache and pain."

            Fudge hen held up his hands and asked, "Harold James Potter, do you take this witch to be your magically wedded wife, to have and to hold, for all eternity, ending only in death?"

            Harry answered, "I do."

            Fudge continued, "Druantia Remona-Sirina Lupin, do you take this wizard to be your magically wedded husband, to have and to hold, for all eternity, ending only in death?"

            Dru yelled, "Hell yeah!"

            Everybody burst into laughter and Ron Weasley's three-year-old son, Emrys, presented the rings.

            Once the laughter died down and the bride and groom were wearing their rings, Fudge said, "Then by the power invested in me, I pronounce you wizard and wife.  You may kiss the bride."

            Harry kissed his new wife and Lily squeezed James' hand with tears of happiness in her eyes.

            Half an hour later, they were all gathered at the reception.  There was music and dancing going.  Dru and Harry were laughing and smiling.  Ron, his husband, and their son were trying to waltz all together.  Violet and Serpentin were smiling secret smiles, anticipating their own special day.

            James sighed.  Lately he had been feeling completely frustrated.  The end was drawing near and he could feel it.  It was as if Death was clutching at his throat while taunting him with what could have been, so that that any happiness he could possibly feel was hollow.

            Ron stopped dancing to make a toast, his freckled face red with heat and joy.

            "Today, one of my best friends got married!  Marriage can be a long journey.  Long, but rewarding," he said, picking up Emrys.  "I never knew when I first met Draco that I had met the love of my life, or that I would know the joy of having my own little… monster."

            He laughed, ruffled Emrys' strawberry blonde hair, and continued, "But now I know.  I only hope that Harry and Dru find all the happiness in their marriage that I have found in mine.  Slainte!"

            _//Slainte…// James thought.  _//It all started with Slainte…//__

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            James woke up, the images of his son's wedding still playing through his head.

            As far as he knew, Peter was still nowhere to be seen and it was obvious that Peter was either a traitor, or had been killed.  

            There was now only one week left until Halloween.


	6. Author's Note

**WARNING:  LONG LAMENTATION OF MY PAIN, WHICH EVENTUALLY INCLUDES AN *IMPORTANT* AUTHOR'S NOTE!!!**

And here it is.  Ok, this past Monday I had knee surgery.  I had an allergic reaction during, but the doctors got it under control, and I was kept under heavy supervision for a couple of days.  Yesterday, it was time to take the bandages off.  I thought my knee looked all big and fat because of the dressing… but noooo… that's my knee!  It's the size of a grapefruit!  It's all purple and five times the size of my other knee!  And it had some heat in it and my entire leg was swollen, so my mom called the doctor and he said he wanted me to come in.  So I went in to the doctor's office and they decided they wanted to drain some fluid.  Now, I have a *major* phobia of needles, and this involves two needles, one of which Caytin said was four inches long.  The doc had to stick the long one all the way in and move it around, which was *incredibly* painful.  He finally had to give up because he wasn't getting much fluid.  All the fluid and stuff was all clotted.  So he ordered me to stay in bed for the next few days, which I *hate*.  I'm having to treat Caytin and my mom like my maid because I'm only allowed to get up to go to the bathroom, and though it's just the next room over, walking that far on the crutches saps my strength.  I'm barely getting any sleep because the doctor prescribed Vicodin as my painkiller, and I have a tolerance towards it.  It doesn't faze me a bit.  And on a scale of 1-10, 1 being no pain, and 10 being the worst I've ever felt, I'm pretty much at a constant 25.  Anyway, my Muses have gone on vacation until I'm better.  Therefore, I doubt that I will be writing for the next week or so.  So I apologize in advance for the lack of updates for awhile.  And ya know… flooding my mailbox with the address bot@fanfiction.net and the subject "Review Alert!" would just make my day.  ^_^ 


	7. Chapter 5: Last Time

**A/N:**  Things are winding down.  Chapter 6 will be the end of the story.  I know it's kinda short, but I had originally intended on it only being a one-shot thing, till I started writing it.  So you know.  This chapter is all Dreamworld, except for that last little bit.  And I'm going by the opinion that witches and wizards have a longer life span than Muggles.  After all, JK herself said that Dumbledore is 150 years old, and he doesn't seem to be slowing down any.  Anyway, the theme song for this chapter is "Desperado," by the Eagles.

**Disclaimer:  **You already know what I claim and what I don't.

Desperado, by the Eagles 

_Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?  
You been out ridin' fences for so long now  
Oh, you're a hard one  
I know that you got your reasons  
These things that are pleasin' you  
Can hurt you somehow  
  
Don' you draw the queen of diamonds, boy  
She'll beat you if she's able  
You know the queen of hearts is always your best bet  
  
Now it seems to me, some fine things  
Have been laid upon your table  
But you only want the ones that you can't get  
  
Desperado, oh, you ain't gettin' no younger  
Your pain and your hunger, they're drivin' you home  
And freedom, oh freedom well, that's just some people talkin'  
Your prison is walking through this world all alone  
  
Don't your feet get cold in the winter time?  
The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine  
It's hard to tell the night time from the day  
You're losin' all your highs and lows  
Ain't it funny how the feeling goes away?  
  
Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?  
Come down from your fences, open the gate  
It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you  
You better let somebody love you, before it's too late_

Chapter 5:  Last Time           

            James leaned on his cane as he walked into the kitchen.  He and Lily were now one hundred and eighty-nine years old, and that was extremely long-lived, even as far as witches and wizards were concerned.  

            As he made his way to the table, he bumped into a small raven-haired girl.

            "Sorry Papaw!" she said with a smile.

            "Oh that's quite all right, Morgana, my dear," he replied, his hand trembling as he raised it to pat the six year old on the head.

            He and Lily were staying with his great-grandson and his family, as they were no longer able to care for themselves.

            He looked out the kitchen window and watched his great-great-grandchildren as they chased each other around the yard in the sunset.

            A smile slowly crept across his lips as he recalled the days when he was that young.  At six years old, he and Sirius had just begun playing pranks on their families.  These were the days that would eventually lead to what the Marauders were best known for.

            By now, he was the only member left of that former group.  Peter, Sirius, and Remus had finally tired of this world and passed on.

            And now, James was tired too.  One hundred and eighty-nine years is a very long time to live.  He had seen children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren grow up.  He had seen peace, and he had seen war.  He had been married to Lily Evans, the love of his life, for one hundred and sixty-eight years.  

            All in all, he had lived a better life than he could ever hope for.  There had been ups and downs, of course, but James Potter was still a very happy man.

            Now, it was time for the dream to end.  He had felt it in his bones all day long.  Lily felt it too. 

            The evening sky darkened slowly, and the children were ushered inside.  James kissed his family one last time before making his way to his bedroom, to where Lily lay, on doctor's orders to stay in bed.

            "Goodnight Lily," James said as he crawled into bed.

            Lily smiled and replied, "Goodnight James.  I love you."

            "Love you too, dear."

            And so they both closed their eyes, one last time.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            James woke up with a couch spring sticking in his back and groaned.  He then remembered the last events of the dream, that parallel universe, and knew that he had woken up for the last time.

            _//And Lily and I are still fighting…//_ he thought to himself, sitting up.

**A/N:**  Well there you have it.  Sorry it's so short.  And some cookies for a recent chapter…

Angelxd14:  Thank you!  Slainte to you too.  ^_^ 

_LadyProngs:  Thank you!  I have always wanted to get after Voldie with a shotgun…_


	8. Chapter 6: Final Goodbye

**A/N:**  Here it is, the end. I've had a rough draft of part of this chapter written ever since the beginning.  Of course, it's going to change a bit.  Please don't flame me for this ending!  The *only* part of this story that is AU, is the Dreamworld.  I know that it's sad, but that's life.  (Or death…)  Anyway, the theme song is "Angel", by Sarah MacLachlan.

**Disclaimer:**  All of you know what I claim and what I don't.  If you wish you wish to use any of *my* characters (Violet Potter, Dru Lupin, Serpentin Snape, Emrys Malfoy-Weasley… I think that's all…), or to archive this story, please ask me first.  Everything that you recognize from the books is JKR's.

Angel, by Sarah MacLachlan

Spend all your time waiting  
For that second chance  
For a break that would make it okay  
There's always some reason  
To feel not good enough  
And it's hard at the end of the day  
I need some distraction  
Oh a beautiful release  
Memories seep from my veins  
They may be empty  
Oh and weightless and maybe  
They'll find some peace tonight

_In the arms of the angel  
Fly away from here  
From this cold dark hotel room  
And the endlessness that you fear  
You are pulled from the wreckage  
Of your silent reverie  
You're in the arms of the angel  
May you find some comfort here _

_So tired of the straight line  
That everywhere you turn  
There's vultures and thieves at your back  
Storm keeps on twistin'  
Keep on building the lies  
That you make up for all that you lack  
It don't make no difference  
Escape one last time  
It's easier to believe  
And this sweet madness  
Oh this glorious sadness  
That brings me to my knees._

_In the arms of the angel  
Fly away from here  
From this dark cold hotel room  
And the endlessness that you fear  
You are pulled from the wreckage  
Of your silent reverie  
And in the arms of the angel  
May you find some comfort here  
You're in the arms of the angel  
May you find some comfort here_

Chapter 4:  Final Goodbye 

            "James?"

            James looked up after hearing his wife's voice, to see her coming down the stairs with tears in her eyes.  

            "What is it, honey?" he asked, worriedly.

            "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she answered, crying, as she ran to her husband's arms.

            James couldn't hold the tears in any longer, and let them spill into Lily's hair as he held her in his arms.

            "I'm sorry too, Lily.  I should have let you make that potion… I should have let you give Harry the chance to live…"

            Lily looked up at him and smiled weakly.

            "I guess we'll just have to let fate take its course," she said, and softly kissed him

            "Yes, of course.  You're right honey."

            The day was a normal day, or as normal as it could get, given that they were in hiding.  It was also a good day, as he and Lily were no longer fighting.  But good things rarely last.  As Murphy put it… "If anything can go wrong, it will."

            The night came quickly, and James sat there, gun in hand, waiting for the wards' alarms to go off.  

            As the hour hand on the clock moved to the number nine, James heard the alarms sound.  Someone was walking straight through the wards, as if he were invincible.

            James knew it was he, and waited in front of the door, with the semi-automatic aimed.  

            The door opened and he fired the gun as soon as the face of the Dark Lord was clear before his eyes.

            The bullet, however, disintegrated as soon as it had reached two feet from the cloaked man.

            He laughed a high, icy cold laugh, and said, "Stupid boy.  Did you really think that you could fight *me* with things such as simple wards, charms, and guns?  Pity… I expected more from a former Head Boy and his Head Girl wife."

            James turned to Lily and said, "Go upstairs with Harry, and *stay there*."

            "I won't leave you!" she cried.

            "DO AS I SAY!" he yelled back.

            Lily jumped and James took her hands in his, as he implored, "I love you, Lily.  *Please* go upstairs and let me handle this.  For Harry's sake."

            Lily nodded with tears streaming down her cheeks, and ran as fast as she could toward the stairs.

            "Aren't you going to invite me in?  Can't stay in the foyer all night, now can we?" came a cold, inhuman voice from directly in front of the door.

            "Even if I didn't, I have a slight feeling that you would come in anyway.  You came to the house uninvited, so why hesitate to come in?  Obviously, ethics mean nothing to you," James replied, glaring at his soon-to-be murderer.

            "Oh, come now, boy.  I do love socializing, even if I don't always adhere to the proper rules of etiquette," he said as a slow sinister smile crept across his lips.  "You still have a chance, you know.  Join me, and you and your family shall be spared.  Think of the young boy."

            "Never," James spat.

            "Never, you say?  Is that fear I sense in you?" Voldemort asked, circling his victim like a cat waiting to pounce on its prey.

            "I don't fear you," James replied.

            "No, that you don't.  You fear for your wife and son.  Don't worry; their deaths will be as quick and painless as your own.  Although, I do quite enjoy seeing an innocent soul suffer at my hands… CRUCIO!" said the Dark Lord, smiling as he watched the man scream and writhe in agony.

            When he released the curse, he sent James flying through the hallway and into the brick wall of the den, and left him pinned there.

            "Do you want to know how I found out where you are?  Of course, you must have figured it out by now.  But, I will tell it to you anyway, as it is quite an enticing story.  You see, your dear little rat friend, Peter Pettigrew is one of my spies.  A loyal Death Eater…  He's a weak little Gryffindor, but he has that thirst for power, all the same.  He joined my forces in your seventh year, I believe.  He came to me a few weeks ago, telling me that you had made *him* your Secret Keeper, instead of Sirius Black.  Stupid move, Potter… stupid move.

            "And do you know what he is going to do after you're dead?  He's going to frame Mr. Black for your murder, his own murder, and if at all possible, the murder of a few innocent bystanders.  No one will ever know that Pettigrew was really your Secret Keeper.  They'll all assume it was Black.  Of course, they'll send him to Azkaban for the rest of his days.  Why… they may even give him a little *kiss*," the Dark Lord said, advancing on James.

            James stared at the evil wizard in horror.  The twilight was gone; it had only existed in his head.  He was about to die along with his wife, son, and unborn daughter.  One of his closest and most trusted friends had betrayed him to his death, and would soon frame his best friend for multiple murders.  And there was nothing he could do about any of it.

            _//I should have just stayed asleep this morning,// _he thought.  _//I should have never left the twilight.//_

            The last thing James Potter saw was a bright flash of green light.  He never found out whether or not Lily had made it to Harry's room, possibly buying some time for herself and Harry.

            The twilight was gone forever, but so was the harsh brightness of the day.

**A/N:**  *sniffle*  That was so hard for me to write.  I had grown kind of attached to James, and really didn't want to kill him.  As all of you know, Lily did die, and Harry did survive, causing Voldie to leave his body in the process.  I would have just written it in the story, but it was in third person limited, and I didn't want to deviate from that.  Oh and guess what!  I'm going to be using a few of my OC's from the dreamworld in a new AU fic, that will be my take on a sequel to Turning Time Around, by AriaStar.  (With her permission, of course.)  I will be using Violet Potter (though her name will be changed to Orchid, and she will have an almost identical twin sister named Skye), Serpentin Snape (he will be in Harry's year), and Dru Lupin (she will still be Remus' daughter, but her mother will be female, and she will be Orchid and Skye's best friend, along with Ginny Weasley).  I'm including my Fic Recommendation list in the updates email this time around, but if I don't have your email, and you want this list, just let me know.  I hope that you will come back and read my other stories as well… I'd hate for this to be the end of our author/reader relationship… Awww look at me… getting all sentimental!  And now for Cookie Time!

Lady Prongs:  I'm glad you liked it, and Desperado is one of my favorites as well.  I hope this chapter explained what I meant by him knowing that he was waking up for the last time.  If it didn't, I was basically saying that he knew he was going to die that night.

_SycoCallie:  I'm glad you want to read all my stories.  *grin*  It's the coolest thing to have the authors of stories I like tell me they like mine!_

_Alriadne:  Awww… I'm sorry I made you cry… Well here's the ending.  I hope you enjoyed it.  ^_^_


End file.
